On March 13, 1999, Calgary defenseman Phil Housley broke Joe Mullen’s all-time record for points by a player born in the United States. Housley was tied with Mullen going into the game at 1,063 points. Then, after going down 2-0 to the Washington Capitals, the Flames’ defensemen provided an assist on a Flames power play goal early in the second period to make the game 2-1. About five minutes later, Calgary tied the game on a goal from Rene Corbet, again off of an assist from Housley. Housley helped to take the game into overtime, as he again assisted on a Calgary goal, this time to Jeff Shantz late in the third period. Valeri Bure would go on to net the game winner in overtime, directly facilitating the 5-4 win for Calgary’s 25th win on the year.

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Housley is often regarded as one of the best, if not the best, offensive defensemen in the game of hockey. His storied career includes stints with the aforementioned Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs among others. Unfortunately, his only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, with the Capitals in 1998, resulted in a series sweep by the Detroit Red Wings. The next year, on January 21, 2000, Housley set another all time record, this time eclipsing the mark for most games played by an American. In total, Housley played in 1,495 games in his career, a record that stood until 2006 when Chris Chelios broke Housley’s record. His record of most points for an American was also broken when Mike Modano scored a breakaway goal against the Dallas Stars. Housley also participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics and won a silver medal as a member of Team USA. For his outstanding career as one of the NHL’s greatest defensemen to ever play the game, Housley was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame.

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His career in hockey has not stopped with the prosperity in his playing days, as he has become a very affluent coach at the NHL level. Before becoming an assistant coach for the Nashville Predators and leading them to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance last season, Housley was busy coaching high schoolers and Olympians. At Stillwater High School in Minnesota, Housley was charged with rebuilding the entire program, as it had fallen to shambles in years prior. In 2013, Housley coached Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. On June 15, 2017, Housley was named the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres, where he looks to replicate the rebuilding process he conducted at Stillwater. This is Housley’s first head coaching gig in the NHL, and so far his team has performed at a sub-par level, to say the least, but maybe Housley can turn it around. Only time will tell. Regardless, Housley has made a significant contribution to the game of hockey and is worthy of the recognition he has received.